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At the beginning of the novel, Clara Bowden is a newly arrived immigrant, a teenager adjusting to British youth culture. Clara was born and raised in Jamaica. Her father, Darcus Bowden, left Jamaica for Britain when Clara was three but did not send for his family. His wife, Hortense Bowden, moves to London in 1972, bringing Clara with her. Hortense raises Clara to be a Jehovah’s Witness, but Clara revolts. After a failed romance and a motorcycle accident that knocks out her front teeth, Clara gets involved with a commune, where she meets Archie Jones.

Clara is a vivid character, the kind of person often described as larger than life. She is six feet tall and very beautiful. Clara dresses in bright colors and speaks dramatically. She is friendly, outgoing, and usually cheerful. She is also honest and honorable. Clara is not in love with Archie, but she sees clearly that he is a genuinely good man, so she vows to appreciate him. Clara is also ambitious and practical. With Archie’s support, she gets a college education and establishes her career.

Although Clara gets along well with most people, she makes an exception for her mother, Hortense Bowden. The two women do not speak because of Clara’s religious revolt and because Hortense objects to Clara’s marrying a white man. Clara’s strained relationship with her mother affects her relationship with her own daughter, Irie. Clara allows Irie much more freedom than she was allowed, but by cutting off Hortense, Clara deprives Irie of family history and Jamaican heritage.

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